pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

[gemini8026]

Howdy guys. Im trying to get my playing to the next level, but im having issues with how I want to hold my pick. It seems that when I strum , I am losing grip of the pick and it all goes downhill. I use 1.0 to 1.5 mm picks, and my fingers and hands sweat a lot. I try various picks and after a while, they all feel like crap to me and they slip, it's VERY frustrating. Anyhow, when your playing, do you make an effort to keep the pick in yoru hand as loose as possible, or do you want some firmness.

I knwo its all comfort, but i CANT find any comfort, I need some different thoughts on it.

Can y'all describe how you approach holding the pick and strumming?!?!

[gemini8026]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

I was also going to add. I feel comfortable playing fast metal licks with palm mutes, but then I come to strumming, is their a different technique when doing light strumming or punk style stuff like Green Day?!? Should I use a lighter pick, or can I play that stuff with my little purple tortex jazz pick and a diffferent technique?

[Tashtego]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

I'm going through a right hand technique change myself. There are threads here that discuss this subject at length with some pointers to good info elsewhere. You're going to have to search though, I don't have the links handy. I've changd two things, I put holes in my picks to make it harder for them to rotate and I'm working on changing the way I hold the pick from a pencil type grip with heel of the hand resting on the bridge to a side of the index finger grip with hand unsupported. I think about the angle of the face of the pick with respect to the string more too. A bit of twist makes string changes seem far more controllable. My motivation was speeding up my alternate picking and the change has helped. Getting used to floating the hand has been the most difficult. I also remember someone ( a gigging musician) who strongly advocated using regular celluliod picks because they are stickier when you start sweating. Good luck.

[Child Of Norther]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

Clayton Polymer .65

I play technical melodic metal and you'll find that these are amazing for accuracy and grip.

[nateb]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

I use these things religiously. They totally kick ass. I had your same issue.

http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/PKAG.htm

-Nate

[shredmonster]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

Yeah I have one of those pics at home. I still use Jazz III because they are accurate but the grip on those .65s is really good.

I would give the 65's a try. Also don't hold the pick too loose - you will lose percussiveness and things can get muddy sounding.

There is no one single right way to pick - whatever works for you. I usually hold the pic at a 45 degree angle. Sometimes when I am playing a rhythm part I will hold it a little flatter for more of a percussive sound.

Experiment with your arm joints - sometimes I pick with just my wrist - the pick tends to slip the most for me here. Other times I use my wrist and elbow and other times my wrist, elbow and shoulder. Depends upon what I am playing, how fast I am strumming and if I am going to emphasize an upstroke or downstroke or want to get more harmonic content in the sound.

When using your elbow and or shoulder your wrist won't sit on the bridge so much. The pick usually comes out a little farther from the strings instead of more of a rolling over them. This is what changes the sound and makes it more percussive and changes the harmonics.

I was dropping my Jazz III picks every once in a while so I played around with my grip until I found what worked. I curl my index finger in quite a bit and that solved it. Takes a while to get use to when you change your grip but just keep working on it.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

just make shure your thumb and knuckle of your index finger are pointing in the same direction. like you are making a fist with only your thumb and one finger.

[Sunbane]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

My right hand technique has been in a state of constant change through all the years I've been playing (except that I just can't play with the fingers "flaring out"). I used to hold the pick very tightly, but I've gradually loosened the grip to something I'd describe as "firm", for both rhythm and lead. For strumming, I think I hold it a little looser than I normally do.

I've also found that I have it a lot easier with larger picks these days, because they gain more stability from my index finger than what a small one does.

[Ace]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

I use Dunlop Ultex 1.0mm and 1.14mm I score them with the tip of a sharp knife where my fingers rest. I rarely loose picks while playing, and it's a good thing, because strumming even half of one of our songs with my fingertips chews them right up. My pick grip and angle of attack change with the sound that I want.

[merediiiith]

Re: pick holding reform, need some tips/advice

i'm a newb to playing guitar and i can finger pick pretty well but i've been having trouble with picks too.... i've found thumb picks to be very helpful though. not sure if that's just the easy way out or not... [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]